Vehicle wheel



June 7, 1938. J H. HUNT ET AL VEHICLE WHEEL Original Filed June 50, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS .ff/aro/d Hun/and Harry J. Harm BY (an/L04! 1. 7

THE/PATTORNEY.

June 7, 1938. J H. HUNT ET AL VEHICLE WHEEL Original Filed June 50, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS J'f/ara/a H0 7 and Harry J? h arn.

rHE/R ATTORNEY.

Reissued June 1.1 3s 20,750,v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE WHEEL J Harold Hunt and Harry J. Horn, Lansing, Mich, assignors, by mesne assignments, to George Albert Lyon, Detroit, Mich.

Original No. 1,993,061, dated March 5, 1935, Serial No. 620,064, June 3i); 1932. Application for reissue July 16, 1936, Serial No. 90,936

11 Claims. (01. 301-31) The present invention relates to vehicle wheels of securing lileans for attaching the shield to the and more particularly to the combination with a vehicle whee vehicle wheel of a removable shield or cover plate FigurehVII isia ggrtial plan view of the securing for the same. 7 means s own n gure an Shields or cover plates are used with vehicle Figure VIII is a partial plan view of the sewheels for thehpurpose fiflilglplgvilllltg th: aprlifiaf cll lIltlllg mteazllis sfiovgrgfiniigurfiei VI. I in ance of thew ee. A g weg mea s e eve l ew ee own n gure asan uscan be formed to provide any desired configuratrative embodiment of the present invention contion within wide limits and can be finished in SiSts of a cylindrical hub shell l0, 8. wheel body 10 substantially any desired manner. The primary l l n t form of a urv d d k s d to t 10 function of a he l is t support the vehi le ith hub shell I, and a conventional drop center tire which it is associated and it must necessarily be Carrying Tim I? secured to the Outer p p y f designed to accomplish this result. In producing the disk II. It should, of course, be understood wheels'utility is of greater consideration than apthat any other form Wheel PO F as d,

pearance. Accordingly shields are provided for g 3: f g fi j g d tli l ofhthe l5 vehicle wheels to supply the deslred decorative efr- 3 es e 1 5313 a e mm W 691 fect without impairing themaximum utilitarian 91106 n 3 1 Of the i fi l Without emciency f the whe i legals: rom e sp or scope o e present f f f f i gfif g gfigfigg; .The hub shell In is provided with ,an inturned 20 t on W1 W m e w ees s flange l3 at the front side thereof and with an them remqvable whereby ready access mas-7 be had inturned flange It at the rear side Suitable to the various parts of the wheel. Considerable openings '5 are formed in the flange I by means difliculty has been experienced heretofore m of which the hub shell III is secured to a wheel i i i 22 33;: hub. The hub shell In is preferably formed with 25 25 shield to V8 6 e w ee D an enlarged portion indicated at [6 adjacent the securing means such as bolts or screws are used from edge thereof whereby a decorative shield the cost g? g i gg ig g??? is secured thereto as will be described presently. and the faculty with w c e 8 The wheel disk II is secured to the hub shell l0 stalled or removed is impaired. Difliculty ls also and the rim '2 respectively by rivets n.

30 experienced m removably securing shields. 2 A substantially circular shield l8 of a diamhicle wheels in a manner whereby all obJec ion- .eter Somewhat less than that of the Shoulder pop able rattles due to metallic contact between the on '9 of the rim '2 is positioned against the wheel and shield are side of the wheel with its peripheral portion with- The principal objects of thepresent invention in the annular shoulder portion '9 of the rim 35 are the provision-of resilient means for removably As shown in Figures I and II the shield Securing a shield to a vehicle wheel and h P comprises a continuous circular sheet of metal vision of non-metallic means for Prevemmg which closes the opening formed at the front termittent comm between the shield and the side of the hub shell in whereby the necessity for vehicle wheel whereby objectionable noises are a hub cap is t d, A removable cap 20 created. i closes a suitable opening in the shield l8 through An illustrat ve embodiment of the Present which access is had to'the tire valve forming a vention is shown in the accompanying drawing part of a, pneumatic tire, not shown, adapted to in which: I be associated with the rim l2. 7 1 I Fi u I s a cross-sectional view of a vehicle The shield I8 is removably s cured to the ve- 45 wheel pro i d with a removable Shield; I hicle wheel by means 01' a ring 2] preferably Fi ure 11 is a w in elevation of thev welded to the inner surface of the shieldadja- 1 shield shown in Figure I; cent its central portion. A laterally extending Figure III is a side view in elevation of the portion 22 of the ring 2|. is of slightly: greater securing ring carried by the shield shown in Fl diameter than the enlarged portion I6 of the hub 50 ure I; i shell-Ill. As best shown in Figures III and IV, a Figure IV is'a. cross-sectional view taken on plurality of depressions 23 are formed in the substantially the line.IV.IV of Figure III; lateral portion 22 of the ring 2| to decrease the Figures V andVI are fragmentary sectional eflective internal diameter. of the portion -22 5 views of vehicle wheels illustrating modified forms whereby the ring maybe pressed into snug engagement with the external surface of the hub shell Ill. An opening 24 is formed in the ring 2I immediately behind each of the depressions 23 whereby to increase the flexibility of the ring in that area to facilitate the installation and removal of the shield ll.

The structure shown in Figure V is a modified form of shield and securing means. In that structure the shield I8 is provided with a circular opening in the central portion thereof and the edge of the shield about the opening is bent inwardly and back upon itself to form a flange 29 enclosing one extremity of a ring 25. The laterally extending portion of the ring 25 is of a diameter slightly less than the external diameter of the enlarged portion I3 of the hub shell III. Notches 26 are cut in-the edge of the ring 25 at intervals about the circumference thereof whereby to increase the flexibility of the ring and to permit the same to be sprung suillciently to pass over the enlarged portion l5 and to firmly engage the hub shell III. Where a shield of the type shown in.Flgure V is used it is also necessary to provide a hub cap 21 for the opening at the front edge of the hub shell. As shown, the edge 28 of the cap preferably extends over the folded edge 29 of the shield II whereby to present a smooth appearance throughout the entire extent of the hub cap and shield It.

In the modified structure shown in Figures VI and VIII the shield I3 is provided with a central opening of slightly greater diameter than the opening formed by the inturned flange I3 at the front side of the hub shell III. A ring 30 having a portion parallel to the shield I3 and a laterally extending portion 3| is preferably welded to the shield I8 in concentric relation to the central opening formed therein. The internal diameter of the lateral portion 3| is slightly less than the external diameter of the enlarged portion I6 of the hub shell Ill. The lateral portion 3I is preferably provided with a plurality of notches 32 at spaced intervals about the circumference thereof whereby that portion may be flexed sufliciently to pass over the enlarged portion I6 of the hub shell III and to engage snugly the external surface of the hub shell whereby to removably secure .the shield thereto; The hub cap 21 closing the opening formed at the front side of the hub shell Ill preferably extends-over the edge of the shield I3 defining the central opening therethrough.

While the securing ring 2| illustrated in Figures I, III and IV has been shown and described in connection with a continuous disk I8, it should be understood that it may also be used with a disk provided with a central opening therethrough, as illustrated in Figure VI. Likewise, the ring 30 illustrated in connection with the shield it having a central opening therethrough may also be used with a shield similar to that shown in Figures I and II, which is not provided with a central opening. Each of the securing devices heretofore described is adapted to removably secure the shield III to the hub shell III.

The periphery of the shield I3 is preferably flanged as indicated at 33 and is positioned within the shoulder portion I9 of the rim I2. Rivets 34 are welded to the inner surface of the periphery of the shield I8 at spaced intervals. Nonmetallic caps 35 such as rubber, for example, provided with central openings therethrough are extended over the ends36 of the rivets 34. The caps 35 are preferably cylindrical in shape and of considerably greater length than the rivets formed as to contour whereby when the shield is secured to the'hub the periphery of the shield presses the caps 35 firmly against the rim. The size of caps 35 and the manner in which they are secured to the shield may, of course, be varied to any desired extent, as long as they prevent the shield from contacting the rim.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that this invention provides means for removably securing a shield to a vehicle wheel hub and for preventing the periphery of the shield from contacting directly with the wheel rim. While only the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but is coextensive with the scope of the appended .claims.

We claim:

l. A vehicle wheel including in combination a substantially cylindrical hub, shell, a wheel body secured to the hub shell, a rim member secured to the wheel body, a substantially circular shield disposed with its outer periphery adjacent the rim member, a central opening formed in the shield, the edge of the shield about the opening being bent inwardly to retain a ring adapted to engage the external surface of the hub shell whereby to removably secure the shield to the hub shell.

2. A vehicle wheel including in combination a substantially cylindrical hub shell, a wheel body secured to the hub shell, a rim member secured to the wheel body, a substantially circular shield disposed with its outer periphery adjacent the rim member, a central opening formed in the shield, the edge of the shield adjacent the central opening therethrough being bent back upon itself, and a ring provided with a laterally extending flange adapted to engage the external surface of the hub shell secured within the said flanged edge of the shield.

3. A vehicle wheel including in combination a substantially cylindrical hub shell, a wheel body secured to the hub shell, a rim member secured to the wheel body, a substantially circular shield disposed with its outer periphery adjacent the rim-member, a central opening formed in the shield, the edge of the shield about the central, opening formed therein being bent inwardly to retain a ring adapted to engage the external surface of the hub-shell whereby to removably secure the shield to the hub shell, and a plurality of openings formed in the edge of the said ring whereby to increase the flexibility thereof.

4. The combination of a wheel including a drop center rim integrally connected to a-central hub part adapted to be secured by bolts to a vehicle axle part, of an ornamental disk of relatively thin form-retaining sheet material having an apertured central portion engaged by a removable hub cap snapped into position in the aperture for concealing said bolts and means on the outer portion of the disk for yieldably contacting a portion of the wheel.

5. The combination with a wheel including a drop center rim integrally connected to a central hub part adapted to be secured by bolts to a vehicle axle part, of an ornamental disk of relatively thin form-retainingsheet material having a central portion formed to receive a closure, a closure cap for said disk engaging said central portion and concealing said bolts and means on the outer portion of the disk for yieldably contacting a portion of the wheel.

6. The combination with a wheel including a drop center rim integrally connected to a central hub part adapted to be secured by bolts to a vehicle axle part, of an ornamental disk of relatively thin form-retaining sheet material having a central portion formed to receive a closure, a closure cap for saiddisk engaging said central portionand concealing said bolts, and means on the outer portion of the disk for yieldably contacting a portion of the wheel, said means being concealed and being yieldably engaged with the wheel by the securing of the disk to the wheel.

7. The combination with a wheel including a drop center rim connected to a central hub part adapted to be secured by bolts to a vehicle axle part, of an ornamental disk of relatively thin form-retaining sheet material having an apertured central portion engaged by a hub cap over the aperture for concealing said bolts, and means on the outer portion of the disk for yieldably contacting a portion of the wheel, said hub cap extending clear across said aperture.

8. The combination with a wheel including a drop center rim connected to a central hub part adapted to be secured by bolts to a vehicle axle part, of an ornamental disk of relatively thin form-retaining sheet material having a central portion formed to receive a closure, a closure cap for said disk overlying said central portion and concealing said bolts, and resilient spring fingers for retaining said disk on the wheel, said fingers including a rigidly mounted base portion and each finger including a yieldable free portion disposed at substantially right angles to said base portion and extending in the direction of the axis of the wheel, said free portions of said fingers being cammed into disk retaining engagement upon axial pressure of the disk on the wheel.

9. In a wheel including a rim and a central part, an ornamental annular shell for disposi- 10. In a wheel including a rim, a central part and a closure cap for detachable cooperation with said central part, an ornamental annular shell for disposition over said central part provided with means for yieldably and detachably retaining it on the wheel and having a central opening over which said closure cap-is disposed in engagement with the shell, said shell means comprising resilient fingers for holding the shell in position formed to slide back and forth on said central wheel part, and means on the outer portion of the shell for contacting a portion of the wheel.

11. The combination with a wheel including a drop center rim, a central part adapted to be secured by bolts to a vehicle axle part, and a closure cap for detachable cooperation therewith to conceal said bolts of an ornamental annular shell of relatively thin form-retaining sheet material having a central portion formed to accommodate said closure cap and having resilient spring fingers for sliding engagement with said central part to retain said shell in position, and means on the outer portion of the disk for contacting a portion of the wheel.

J HAROLD HUNT. HARRY J. HORN. 

